Method and arrangement for the speed control of a motor vehicle and operator-controlled element

ABSTRACT

A method and an arrangement for the speed control of a vehicle as well an operator-controlled element are disclosed which make possible an improved acceleration and/or deceleration input by the driver of the motor vehicle. The speed control takes place in dependence upon a value for an acceleration and/or deceleration of the motor vehicle with this value being pregiven with the aid of an operator-controlled element. The function of the operator-controlled element is different from the function of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal. With the actuation of the operator-controlled element, one of several different values for the acceleration and/or deceleration is selected and pregiven.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional application of patent application Ser. No.10/429,040, filed May 5, 2003, and claiming priority of Germanapplication 102 19 800.4, filed May 3, 2002, and the entire content ofboth applications is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

German patent publication 200 03 196 already discloses a vehicle-speedcontrol lever which makes possible the input of precisely oneacceleration value in one of four possible actuating directions. Inanother actuating direction of this lever, precisely one value for apregiven deceleration of the vehicle can be adjusted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The method and arrangement of the invention for the speed control of amotor vehicle as well as of the operator-controlled element of theinvention afford the advantage that one of several different values forthe acceleration and/or the deceleration is selected and inputted withthe actuation of the operator-controlled element. In this way, theoperability of the speed control function is expanded. Furthermore, thepossibility is afforded the driver of the vehicle to influence the valueof the acceleration and/or deceleration via the operator-controlledelement in the speed control. In this way, the driver can morecomfortably match the vehicle speed to the instantaneous drivingsituation via the operator-controlled element. The driver of the motorvehicle can variably accelerate or decelerate independently of theaccelerator pedal or the brake pedal by means of the operator-controlledelement.

It is especially advantageous when an analog operator-controlled signalis formed via the actuation of the operator-controlled element whichrepresents the pregiven value for the acceleration and/or decelerationand is supplied to the speed control. In this way, any desired valuesfor the acceleration and/or deceleration can be inputted within pregivenlimits via the operator-controlled element.

It is especially advantageous when different values for the accelerationand/or deceleration are pregiven by different deflections or differentrotations of the operator-controlled element. The operator-controlledelement can be especially configured in the form of a joy stick. In thisway, a realization of the operator-controlled element is made possiblewhich is known in the art and is especially simple for the driver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram incorporating an arrangement of theinvention and an operator-controlled element of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic showing an alternate embodiment of theoperator-controlled element of the invention; and,

FIG. 3 is a signal/time diagram showing the method of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 identifies an arrangement for the speedcontrol of a motor vehicle which, for the sake of simplicity, isreferred to in the following as the speed control. Anoperator-controlled signal U from a first operator-controlled element 1is supplied to the speed control 10 as an input signal. The driver ofthe vehicle can input a value for the acceleration and/or for thedeceleration of the motor vehicle by means of the firstoperator-controlled element 1. The first operator-controlled element 1can be configured as an operator-controlled part of a vehicle-speedcontrol and can include additional input functions such as for the inputof a speed to be maintained by the vehicle. These additional functionsare, for example, known from German patent publication 200 03 196. Inthe following, however, only the input of an acceleration and/ordeceleration of the vehicle by means of the first operator-controlledelement 1 is considered.

The function of the first operator-controlled element 1 is furthermoreto be distinguished from the function of an accelerator pedal or of abrake pedal. The first operator-controlled element is rather present inaddition to the accelerator pedal and brake pedal of the vehicle andrealizes a vehicle-speed control function as described in this example.

According to the invention, it is provided that one of several differentvalues for the acceleration and/or deceleration of the motor vehicle canbe selected and inputted via actuation of the first operator-controlledelement 1. According to FIG. 1, this takes place in that the firstoperator-controlled element 1 includes a lever 15 which can be movedguided in a guide rail 25 in two directions starting from a zeroposition 20. The first operator-controlled element can be configured,for example, as a joy stick. Starting from the zero position 20 in theguide rail 25, if the lever 15 is deflected forwardly, then a value forthe acceleration of the motor vehicle is inputted. A differentdeflection leads to different values for the acceleration input.Correspondingly, a deflection of the lever 15 toward the rear startingfrom the zero position 20 in the guide rail 25 leads to the input of adeceleration value for the motor vehicle. Here too, a differentdeflection leads to different values for the deceleration of thevehicle. The lever 15 can be moved continuously in the guide rail 25 andany desired values for the acceleration and/or deceleration can beselected and inputted up to a stop fixed by the upper or lower stop ofthe lever 15 in the guide rail 25. The value for the acceleration ordeceleration which is formed in this way is then outputted to the speedcontrol 10 via an analog operator-controlled signal U.

Alternatively, it can be provided that the lever 15 must be movedstepwise in the guide rail 25 so that only discrete values for theacceleration or deceleration of the motor vehicle can be selected andinputted. Correspondingly, the analog operator-controlled signal U thenexhibits only discrete levels which represent respective inputted valuesfor the acceleration and/or the deceleration and are supplied to thespeed control 10.

In dependence upon the operator-controlled signal U (and therefore independence upon the value for the acceleration or deceleration of themotor vehicle selected and pregiven at the first operator-controlledelement 1), the speed control 10 determines a desired acceleration valueBDES in dependence upon the instantaneous driving situation. The desiredacceleration value BDES is to be converted by the drive unit of themotor vehicle in order to realize the acceleration value pregiven at thefirst operator-controlled element 1. A deceleration, which is pregivenat the first operator-controlled element 1, is converted by the speedcontrol 10 into a corresponding desired deceleration value VDES. Thedesired acceleration value BDES or the desired deceleration value VDEScan be converted into corresponding requests to the torque to beoutputted by the drive unit by means of an engine control (not shown inFIG. 1). Input or measurement quantities 30 to 35 are supplied to thespeed control 10 to detect the instantaneous driving situation. Thesequantities 30 to 35 include, for example, data as to the instantaneousengine rpm and instantaneous engine load. Starting from the pregivenvalue for the acceleration or deceleration of the motor vehicle, whichis imparted by the operator-controlled signal U, the speed control 10can compute the desired acceleration value BDES or the desireddeceleration speed VDES via an application value dependent upon theinstantaneous driving situation. The application value can be stored inthe form of a characteristic line or a characteristic field in the speedcontrol 10 or in the engine control and is advantageously notchangeable. The engine control is connected to the speed control 10 andcan be realized therewith in a common control unit. The functions of thespeed control can also be integrated into the engine control.

The formation of the analog operator-controlled signal U in dependenceupon the position of the lever 15 can, for example, be realized by meansof a potentiometer. Depending upon the position of the lever 15, adifferent potentiometer tap results and therefore a different voltagedrop for forming the operator-controlled signal U. In the zero position20 of the lever 15, the voltage of the operator-controlled signal U isequal to zero so that the speed control 10 is caused to maintain theactual vehicle speed. If the lever 15 is moved forwardly to select apregiven acceleration value, then the voltage of the operator-controlledsignal U becomes positive and a corresponding desired acceleration valueBDES, which is dependent upon the actual driving situation, is formed bythe speed control 10. If the lever 15 is moved to the rear, then thevoltage of the operator-controlled signal U becomes negative and acorresponding desired deceleration VDES is formed by the speed control10 in dependence upon the instantaneous driving situation. The more thelever 15 is deflected from the zero position 20 to select and input anacceleration value or deceleration value, the greater is the level ofthe operator-controlled signal U in magnitude and the greater, inmagnitude, is the desired acceleration value BDES or desireddeceleration value VDES correspondingly formed by the speed control 10.The desired deceleration value VDES can be configured as a negativedesired acceleration value.

In FIG. 3, an example of a trace of the operator-controlled signal U asa function of time t is shown in dependence upon the input at the firstoperator-controlled element 1. Correspondingly in FIG. 3, the effect ofthis input on the desired speed VS as a function of time t is shown withthe desired speed being pregiven to the drive unit by the engine controlby means of a torque request. Up to a first time point t₁, the lever 15is at the zero position 20 and the voltage of the operator-controlledsignal U is equal to zero. The speed control 10 thereby outputs neitheran acceleration request nor a deceleration request, that is, the desiredacceleration value BDES as well as the desired deceleration value VDESare equal to zero. The instantaneously pregiven desired speed VS istherefore constant. At the first time point t₁, the lever 15 is movedforwardly into a first position so that a first positive voltage valueU₁ of the operator-controlled signal U is adjusted. This position of thelever 15 and therefore the first voltage value U₁ are maintained up to asecond time point t₂. This leads to the formation of a first constantdesired acceleration value B₁ by the speed control 10 and acorresponding increase of the desired speed VS. At the second time pointt₂, the lever 15 is again moved back into the zero position 20 and theoperator-controlled signal U is again brought to zero. In this way, thedesired speed VS, which is reached at the second time point t₂, ismaintained constant up to the third time point t₃. At the third timepoint t₃, the lever 15 is again moved forwardly into the second positionwhich is further deflected compared to the first position. This leads toa second voltage value U₂ which is likewise positive and greater thanthe first voltage value U₁. The position of the lever 15 and thereforethe level of the operator-controlled signal U then remains unchanged upto a fourth time point t₄ and leads to the formation of a secondconstant desired acceleration value B₂ by the speed control 10 which isgreater than the first desired acceleration value B₁ so that the desiredspeed VS increases more sharply from the third time point t₃ to thefourth time point t₄ than from the first time point t₁ to the secondtime point t₂. At the fourth time point t₄, the lever 15 is moved into afirst position behind the zero position 20 so that theoperator-controlled signal U assumes a third voltage value U₃ which isnegative and leads to the formation of a first constant desireddeceleration value V₁ by means of the speed control 10. Up to a fifthtime point t₅, the position of the lever 15, and therefore the level ofthe third voltage value U₃, remains constant so that the desired speedVS, which is arrived at at the fourth time point t₄, drops linearly upto the fifth time point t₅ in accordance with the first desireddeceleration value V₁. At the fifth time point t₅, the lever 15 is movedin the direction toward the zero position 20 but is again stopped beforereaching the zero position 20 so that a fourth voltage value U₄ resultsfor the operator-controlled signal U which is likewise negative but lessin magnitude than the third voltage value U₃. This value is maintainedconstant up to a sixth time point t₆ so that the desired speed VS dropslinearly with a constant desired deceleration value V₂ from the fifthtime point t₅ to the sixth time point t₆. This second constant desireddeceleration V₂ is less in magnitude than the first desired decelerationvalue V₁. At the sixth time point t₆, the lever 15 is again brought intothe zero position 20 so that, from the sixth time point t₆ on, thevoltage of the operator-controlled signal U is zero and the desiredspeed VS remains at the value reached at the sixth time point t₆.

By using the analog operator-controlled signal U in dependence upon theposition of the lever 15, different desired acceleration values BDES ordesired deceleration values VDES can therefore be inputted so that thedesired speed VS can be comfortably changed. With the firstoperator-controlled element 1, a desired acceleration or a desireddeceleration can be pregiven by the driver which is converted by thespeed control 10 in the manner described. In this way, the driver isprovided with the possibility to more comfortably match the vehiclespeed to the instantaneous driving situation via the firstoperator-controlled element 1. The driver then is afforded thepossibility to influence the value of the desired acceleration ordesired deceleration in the context of the speed control. In this way,the driver can vary the acceleration or the deceleration with the aid ofthe vehicle-speed operator-controlled function. Accordingly, the drivercan accelerate and decelerate the vehicle with variable input valuesindependently of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal,respectively.

Alternatively, the first operator-controlled element 1 can be soconfigured that not a longitudinally displaceable lever is provided forthe input of an acceleration or deceleration value, rather, an axiallyrotatable pin or operator-controlled rod is provided which can berotated likewise starting from a zero position into at least twodifferent acceleration positions or at least two different decelerationpositions which characterize two different acceleration input values ortwo different deceleration input values.

In an alternate embodiment, FIG. 2 shows a second operator-controlledelement 5 whose functionality corresponds to the functionality of thefirst operator-controlled element 1 but has another operator-controlledmechanism. The operator-controlled signal U is determined in dependenceupon the position of the pull/press pin 40. If, starting from a secondzero position 50, the pull/press pin 40 is pressed into a holding body45, then an acceleration request is realized. If the pull/press pin 40,starting from the second zero position 50, is pulled out of the holdingbody 45, then a deceleration request is effected. Depending upon how farthe pull/press pin 40 is pressed into the holding body 45 starting fromthe second zero position 50 or is pulled out from the holding body 45,two different values for the acceleration and/or the deceleration can beselected and inputted and a corresponding operator-controlled signal Uis formed. The magnitude of the pregiven acceleration or the pregivendeceleration is dependent upon in which position the pull/press pin 40is disposed with reference to the second zero position 50 as aconsequence of a press or force exertion on the part of the driver.

Here, it can be provided that the pull/press pin 40 is held in theholding body 45 in the second zero position 50 by means of a spring and,starting from the second zero position 50, is pressed into the holdingbody 45 against the spring force or is pulled out from the holding body45. A release of the pull/press pin 40 by the driver then in each caseleads to the situation that the pull/press pin 40 again passes into thesecond zero position 50. The spring mechanism is identified in FIG. 2 byreference numeral 55.

A further possibility of realizing an operator-controlled element toselect and input different values for the acceleration and/ordeceleration of the vehicle can be realized by a rocker switch orrespective separate keys. Depending upon the time duration of theactuation of one of the keys or the rocker switch in a rocker position,a different value results for the acceleration or the deceleration andtherefore a corresponding operator-controlled signal U.

The operator-controlled element can be mounted on or near the steeringwheel of the vehicle.

The invention is not limited to the operator-controlled elementsdescribed but is applicable to all operator-controlled elements whichmake possible the selection and input of different values for theacceleration and/or deceleration. In all of these operator-controlledelements, it can be provided that the different values for theacceleration and/or deceleration can be adjusted continuously or insteps.

It can also be provided that only one operator-controlled element isprovided for a variable input of different acceleration values or onlyone operator-controlled element is provided for the variable input ofdifferent acceleration values. It can also be provided that respectivesuitable operator-controlled elements are provided as in the case of theseparate keys for the variable input of different acceleration valuesand for the variable input of different deceleration values. In bothcases, the operator-controlled elements can be configured as describedabove. Starting from the particular zero position, a deflection oractuation of the particular operator-controlled element is required onlyin one direction.

It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferredembodiments of the invention and that various changes and modificationsmay be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. An operator-controlled element for an arrangementfor controlling the speed of a motor vehicle in dependence upon a valuepregiven by said operator-controlled element, said value being for anacceleration and/or a deceleration of said motor vehicle, saidoperator-controlled element having a function different from thefunction of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, theoperator-controlled element comprising: a holding body; a pull/press pinmounted in said holding body so as to be displaceable with respectthereto from a zero position in a first direction into said holding bodyand in a second direction out of said holding body and, depending uponhow far said pin is pushed into said holding body or how far said pin ispulled out of said holding body, various values for said acceleration orsaid deceleration can be selected and outputted; and, said accelerationand deceleration having a magnitude which is dependent upon the positionof said pin with respect to said zero position.